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A New Turn on the Road of Life

By Gregory Schmidt May 9, 2012 3:27 pmMay 9, 2012 3:27 pm

The first offering from Hasbro’s iPad-enhanced line of games is the Game of Life, which sells for $25.

For decades, toymakers have sought for ways to translate their physical board games into digital versions, first as arcade games, then as handheld and console games, and now as apps. While apps work well as one-person games, they are not as much fun to play with four people huddled over a smartphone or tablet on family game night.

So toy companies have tried to find a better way to marry the analog and the digital. Hasbro, for instance, recently started an iPad-enhanced line of board games called Zapped, and its first offering is the Game of Life.

The Zapped version, which is available at Toys “R” Us and Amazon.com, is played the same as its standard counterpart: players guide tiny cars around a board, building a family and earning money on their way to retirement.

The added feature is the app, which acts as a sort of game show host, prompting players to spin the virtual spinner and reminding them to collect their paychecks along the way. It also has special features that can be unlocked as players move around the board, like mini-games, animation and scenes from “America’s Funniest Videos.”

I thought the added content might be distracting and make the game drag, but it was all short and sweet, enriching the game rather than diminishing it. The mildly humorous video clips lasted about five to 10 seconds, and the mini-games were simple to play.

The iPad is placed in the middle of the board, and the screen can flip, so no player has the disadvantage of seeing the screen upside down. The app keeps track of movements on the board, so it knows when players have landed on a life choice or other space that unlocks content. It does not track money, however; one player still has to act as the banker and dole out cash in physical form.

The game has been updated to include dream jobs, like rock star and video game developer, and players can alter their appearance in the app, adding accessories and hair to their virtual peg people. They can also choose same-sex partners now, a big step for a family board game. Life goes on.

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